Dressed in black Holden’s new Arcadia would look right at home in one of those American TV crime shows.
The ones where the Armani clad cavalry arrive in a totally inconspicuous (not), threatening, jet black V8 SUV.
The big seven seater has got the same beefy look about it.
This bodes well for the General because Aussies favour cars that are big and brash, loud too if possible — like the much lamented Commodore SS.
Acadia fills the gap that the Captiva 7 was supposed to occupy, but was never been quite big or plush enough to pull off.
While the Colorado 7, later renamed Trailblazer, was/is a bit utilitarian.
Acadia is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine with direct fuel injection, stop/start and active fuel management across the entire range.
The V6 is good for 231kW of power and 367Nm of torque, with power delivered to the road through a 9-speed auto — either in two or all-wheel form.
Holden claims fuel consumption of 8.9 L/100km for the two-wheel drive and 9.3 L/100km for the all-wheel drive using standard unleaded.
Let’s hope it’s right because diesel is the engine of choice in this price conscious segment of the market.
Built with families in mind, the SUV features an alarm prompting you to double check the third row before exiting the vehicle, in case you may have left sleeping kids, pets or valuables behind.
Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) is another nice feature, keeping the driver posted on the current speed limit — even where there is a work zone.
Then there’s Hitch Guidance with Hitch View, which helps you line up a trailer when hitching it (lets you check on it while driving too).
And, in ‘Tow Haul’ mode, the auto switches gear shift patterns to aid driveability, performance and stability.
At the same time however the tow rating is a disappointing 2000kg.
There’s lots to like about Acadia which is priced from $42,990 drive away:
LT 2WD $42,990
LT AWD $46,990
LTZ 2WD $53,990
LTZ AWD $57,990
LTZ-V 2WD $63,990
LTZ-V AWD $67,990
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